Getting Rid Of One Guinea Pig . Help

What are the tradeoffs between getting one guinea pig for my kids or two?

Because the advantages of having two guinea pigs are obvious (as many here have already stated) I am going to make the argument for having only one. Our son has owned a single male cavy for nearly five years.As others have mentioned, guinea pigs are social animals, so having only one requires paying extra attention to providing companionship. For this reason ours is kept not in a bedroom but rather in our living room where we spend the most time. From his spot he can also see and hear activity in the kitchen. His cage is kept atop of a large ottoman, so he is at eye level with our dog, who sleeps on a bed right next to his cage and will make “nose contact” with him from time to time. Thus he is never really alone.In addition we make sure he gets daily time being held. This is easy with a guinea pig because unlike hamsters or gerbils they are very calm and will sit contentedly in a lap, sometimes even falling asleep. It is easy to hold ours while watching TV, and even I enjoy visiting with “Mr. Winks.” (I first fold a towel across my lap first to reduce the risk of accidents.)My concern with having two pigs is, first, it would require a very large cage — sincerely, one that you would not be able to purchase at a typical pet store. Putting two pigs in too small of a cage would, in my opinion, be as stressful and unhealthy as one living alone.Secondly, and more significantly, guinea pigs have a tremendous amount of output. They eat and thus poop nearly continuously. I think I read once that a single pig can produce 300 turds in a day. I cannot imagine keeping a clean environment for two pigs. It is hard enough with one. I am certain there are devoted cavy owners who are successful at it, but for the average pet owner I just don’t think it is manageable long term. Thus, owning two pigs would probably double the odds of either or both developing health problems, such as cauliflower feet, from living in a dirty cage.All the advocates for owning more than one guinea pig certainly have their hearts in the right place. I guess I’m just much more of a realist. In my opinion, one pig who is healthy and well-loved is better than two pigs who are neglected because it’s assumed that they are happy together.Our Mr. Winks has lived five long years! I have had various concerns about him from time to time, but loneliness has never been one of them.

How do I help a guinea pig get better from a cold?

The very first thing you do is ensure habitat, dietary, and sanitation needs are being met. Without these, any guinea is more susceptible to illness. It's all but guaranteed. I'll touch on dietary and sanitation in this answer.  Dietary Your guinea needs a diet high in fiber. Look for a high quality pellet diet as the base or staple food. In addition, your guinea will require hay and vitamin c supplementation. Both are very important. Hay is primarily for fiber content and digestion aid but can not be overlooked. Guineas, like humans, can not synthesize their own vitamin c. They require pretty much daily doses of it to avoid becoming ill. You can do this through a slice or two of orange every day or any of the many commercial supplements available from your local pet store. Guineas also benefit from fresh veggies and fruits. Dark leafy greens, carrots, squash, etc. These should also be given daily. Sanitation Your guinea requires a clean habitat to remain healthy. These guys are eating and pooping machines so regular cleaning is a must. At the bare minimum, the habitat should be stripped down, cleaned, and sanitized weekly. Use commercial products which are safe for your pet for cleaning and sanitization. You can also use a 3% bleach solution (1 cup bleach to 1 gallon water) for sanitizing. Just make sure you rinse the habitat and allow it to dry before placing your guinea back. Despite following these important steps to help prevent disease, your guinea can still become ill. The key here is being observant. If you see runny nose, snot bubbles, weepy eyes, lethargy, heavy breathing, wheezing, etc, it's time for a vet visit. 99% of diseases can be cured if caught early and antibiotics are starting. If you wait, it may be too late. Hopefully this helps.

Can you only get one guinea pig?

After reading the other answers, they all seem to be missing a key point. Female guinea pigs are social creates who require small groups. Males are strictly solitary in the wild. Housing multiple males is possible, as the rest suggest, but is a massive pain the the arse and actually can shorten their life expentency. Female pigs require small groups of 2–4, however due to their size, pens need to be a good size, but a single male will do you very well.Guinea Pigs are also not very active creatures. Getting them a wheel is actually dangerous, as they aren't built for running but for burrowing and a wheel can cause them to trip and break a leg. Also, like all rodents, their teeth continuously grow so you need to provide them with a few small wooden blocks they can go and chew on.Another thing about them is their nutrition is a bit funny as well. About 75–80% of their diet is hay while the rest is the complete diet pellets you can get them. Also make sure to pick up Vitman C infused treats, (at least I'm pretty sure it was C) for them as they cannot naturally create it and require it in their diet. Whoever you buy him from should be able to answer and if they can't, I wouldn't buy from them.As far as outdoor access goes, Make sure they are in a penned in area where nothing can get to them and keep a close eye on them if there are hawks in your area. They really don't like running around much and like to slowly romp around eating grass and purring/squeaking.Source: Pet Store worker and Girlfriend who is obsessed with small animals and mother to many pigs.